4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Hendy]

Korma has only been laying for about a month and in the last 3 days or so she seems to be taking ages to lay an egg, hours and hours. Is this normal? The egg does come out in the end. It is very cold here at the moment and she's in a wooden ark. I've pul a blanket over it to try to keep some heat in but the chickens don't snuggle up together to sleep. I've tried giving her some tuna this morning but she's not interested.

She won't let me touch her but from what I can see her vent doesn't look red.

 

Is this normal?

 

Thanks

[Egluntyne]

I f she seem otherwise well and happy, I wouldn't worry.

 

Is she on a good quality brand of layers pellets? That should provide her with all the nutrients she needs to lay eggs, especially the calcium.

 

It might be a good idea not to give her too many treats for a while.

 

It can take a little while for them to settle into laying.

[Hendy]

Thanks. She hasn't come out all day so I just went out there and physically moved her a bit so I could clean out the coop. Now she's gone straight back to her spot and probably won't come out again. No egg since yesterday morning.

Oh well, will wait and see!

Thanks.

[SnowWhite]

One of my girls, Astrid, has been laying for a few weeks and so is SO SLOW!

 

Astrid will be in the nest box for hours, literally. But she is healthy and happy and produces consistently large eggs.

 

I don't think you need to be to worried about Korma. I think that some just like to take their time...don't we all

[Hendy]

Thanks. She didn't come out at all today and didn't lay either. I gave her some scrambled egg to warm her up a bit and hopefully give her a bit of what she needs.

[Egluntyne]

You don't think that she might have gone broody do you? An odd time of year, but you never know.

[Hendy]

Hmm, could be. She's not sitting on any eggs though! She came out for an hour or so today but is back inside now.

Thanks

[Trish]

If you try and move her of the nesting box does she go easily or does she growl a bit and hunch down more. Broody chooks don't need to be sitting on eggs but the will often be slightly aggressive if you try and move them on

[Hendy]

Yes, she growls and hunches down. I'm pretty sure now she must be broody. I'm just going to let her do what she wants. I'm not in any hurry to get her out of there so long as she's happy.

Thanks all.

[Egluntyne]

Mystery solved. The cold weather might snap her out of it.